Travolta returns to musicals

Los Angeles – After a long break, John Travolta’s got the music in him again.

He thrilled moviegoers in 1977 as a disco-dancer in “Saturday Night Fever” and was a bad-boy bopper in 1978’s “Grease.” Then Travolta put musical roles aside.

Until now.

The actor will take on the role of Edna Turnblad in “Hairspray,” a coming film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical based on John Waters’ 1988 film. Travolta will star opposite singer-actress Queen Latifah, who has signed on to play Motormouth Maybelle, according to New Line Cinema.

“Hairspray” opened on Broadway in 2002 and went on to earn eight Tony Awards, including best musical. Harvey Fierstein, who played Edna Turnblad on Broadway, won a Tony for his role.

Rod Stewart loses case

Las Vegas – A federal judge has ordered Rod Stewart to pay a Las Vegas casino more than $3 million for a canceled show in December 2000.

U.S. District Judge Larry Hicks ordered the British rocker’s lawyers to pay an additional $153,483 in contempt-of-court sanctions and legal costs for failing to turn over information to lawyers for Harrah’s Entertainment before trial last year.

Stewart’s lawyer, Louis “Skip” Miller in Los Angeles, declined comment Monday on the sanctions. Miller said Stewart intends to appeal the verdict and jury award.

Hicks’ judicial order, dated Friday, put Stewart on the hook for $3.06 million, including the $2 million advance he was paid by the Rio hotel-casino and more than $1 million in interest, penalties and attorney fees.

Stewart and his lawyers are jointly responsible for paying the sanctions.

Official inquiry finds no foul play in Diana’s death

London – An official British inquiry into the 1997 death of Princess Diana in a high-speed car crash has found no evidence of foul play, a newspaper has reported.

The Daily Mail said Monday the interim report, to be published in May by former Metropolitan Police Commissioner John Stevens, will dismiss conspiracy theories about the deaths of Diana, her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed, and their chauffeur, Henri Paul, in a Paris tunnel.

Those theories include an allegation that Prince Charles was plotting to kill his former wife by staging a car accident. Fayed’s father, Mohammed al Fayed, who owns Harrods department store in London, has said he suspects not only Charles, but also his father, Prince Philip.

The two-year investigation by 10 detectives will say that even a skilled racing driver would have had difficulty controlling the Mercedes carrying Diana as it hurtled through the Pont d’Alma tunnel in Paris, the Daily Mail reported.

An official French inquiry concluded that Paul was drunk when he left the Ritz hotel with the couple and bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones, who was seriously injured in the crash.

France’s highest court dropped manslaughter charges in 2002 against nine photographers who pursued Diana’s car before it crashed or who took photos at the site.

Gross, and engrossing

New York – “South Park” has gotten grosser over the years – but its creators are getting away with it.

Hardly anyone raised an eyebrow five years ago when the animated show depicted the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, co-creator Trey Parker told Time magazine.

“We created a brand for ourselves, so that now people can’t get mad at what we do, because then they’re just making fun of themselves,” said Parker, 36, as the show heads into its 10th season.

The first season was much tamer than shows of late, co-creator Matt Stone, 34, told Time.

“None of the shows we’ve done in the last two or three seasons could have been shown on air back in 1997,” he said, Time reports in its issue that hit newsstands Monday.

Over the years, Stone and Parker have reached beyond their cartoon comfort zone to work on projects including the sitcom “That’s My Bush!” and the movie “Team America: World Police.” Another movie is unlikely, they said.

“We have a hungry baby we have to feed,” Stone said. “‘South Park’ takes every idea.”